Breaking it all down

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I'll inform the customer that I'm sure they can find someone cheaper than me but just tell them to make sure they have insurance. If they're just looking for me to knock a few bucks off, some greenbacks are about the only way that will happen. I'll offer some pricing options as mentioned above with full cleanup, just brush removed, or complete leave it where it landed choices. I almost always do written contracts if only to help keep a professional image but I'm a pretty good judge of character and know when a good handshake is all that's needed to assure both parties will be happy at the job's outcome.
 
Just got off the phone with a client. He called to set a date for a job we priced at $200 last week; two birch takedowns, into firewood, pile the branches, everything stays. A peanut, as the boss would call it.

At the end of the call the guy says, "Is $200 your best price?" I said no, we can do it for $250. Silence. "Oh, you mean the best price for you?"

I love pulling that one. :hmm3grin2orange:
 
We just had a customer that we agreed to "just put it on the ground" to save her money. She called and said "aren't you guys going to come and clean up the mess?" "Money is tight for them right now because they are renovating their real home down in Long Island don't you know..... " Thats ok my kids don't need to eat this week.
:angry2:


Don't get me started.
 
I'll inform the customer that I'm sure they can find someone cheaper than me but just tell them to make sure they have insurance. If they're just looking for me to knock a few bucks off, some greenbacks are about the only way that will happen. I'll offer some pricing options as mentioned above with full cleanup, just brush removed, or complete leave it where it landed choices. I almost always do written contracts if only to help keep a professional image but I'm a pretty good judge of character and know when a good handshake is all that's needed to assure both parties will be happy at the job's outcome.

Good answer mate.

It is worth remembering that the best time to increase your hourly gross profit is at the appraisal NOT on the job. By spending a little more time with your client BEFORE you give them a price you can have a major improvement in converting leads to jobs and banking more bucks. Try a few of these proven techniques.

#1. Ask questions rather than give answers. Everyone loves their own voice so let your client do most of the talking. Their choice of service provider almost always reflects an emotional decision rather than a rational one.

#2. Have a few "techie" tools. I think the $150 I spent on an industrial class laser pointer has made me $1000's in "wow" factor from clients.

#3. If you have a messaging service and get an sms, or a missed call, call them back immediately. Slow response or even no response to messages is the number 1 customer complaint in any service industry.

#4. Make an appointment ASAP. I recently won a $3950 tree removal job because I called the client as she was hanging up from my office. I saw her property that day and completed the work in 7 days. It took a lot of juggling with other work but I charged her a premium rate for the speed and got 1 1/2times my normal hourly rate because I asked her "what is your main reason for calling me here today?" She was getting married and the relatives were 9 days out. As soon as she said that I knew price was no issue. Otherwise I may have carved up the price to get the work and then discovered I was underpaying myself.

#5. Smile. :)

#6. Use Tic Tacs!

#7. Keep a photo album. Sounds corny but the impact of customers seeing "their tree" removed before it happens is profound. Pictures really do say a thousand words. Quick tip. Let them hold the album and let them browse. I love it when they look a photo and say "you use cranes? wow, my brother in law needs an arborist who can do high tech removals......"

#8. Most important Tip of All!!!! Ask them if they have already had a quote and if so how much! Some will lie, but more importantly some will tell you the truth!

Go get em! :yourock:
 
Well...Like I said...I give them a price and detail what we will do.

I could care less if others think the detail helps or hurt.

I doubt if any of my competitors are breaking down their costs for the customers.

When you go buy gallon of milk to you ask for the delivery cost vs. the manufacturing and processing cost?

But hey....I never said I was right and there is really nothing to disagree with Mike.
 
I don't give a price break down but I will offer them several options at different prices, I feel it's not really their business how the money is split up, they asked for a price for services and that's how I present it.
 
Good answer mate.


#4. Make an appointment ASAP. I recently won a $3950 tree removal job because I called the client as she was hanging up from my office. I saw her property that day and completed the work in 7 days. It took a lot of juggling with other work but I charged her a premium rate for the speed and got 1 1/2times my normal hourly rate because I asked her "what is your main reason for calling me here today?" She was getting married and the relatives were 9 days out. As soon as she said that I knew price was no issue. Otherwise I may have carved up the price to get the work and then discovered I was underpaying myself.


So you took advantage of the situation to gain profit? Good idea!
 
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firemen

What p***** me off is when the local firemen do tree jobs "for fun". It doesn't happen often, not for the past few years actually, but we've priced jobs at three and four-hundred dollars only to find out a couple of off duty firemen came and did it for seventy-five bucks. Grrrrr! Exactly!

I know you clarified your position groundman... I work as full time fire fighter here in Victoria and run a full time tree service. I have had other tree guys think I'm competing unfairly; in reality I have the same overhead and less time to re coop it every month. The big B around my neck of the woods is throwing below cost numbers on removals, pretty sure they are leveraging good muni contracts to break local residential guys. The big boys are the ones that you need to worry about.

In so far as breaking down contracts I believe it is more likely to help then not. The bigger the job the more it helps. I rarely break it down on paper but generally will in the course of the estimate verbally do so. For instance very few people know a chipper costs 30 grand and you need to make enough to pay for it and its replacement... I find, most folks perceive tree companies as landscapers and do not appreciate the high overhead in equipment and expertise. When folks want to lower the price If I have laid out a break down I can then counter by saying what do you not want me to do.
 
I know you clarified your position groundman... I work as full time fire fighter here in Victoria and run a full time tree service.

Allow me then a short tale; last Canada Day we had a couple of cops standing around in the crowd at our local festivities. There were a couple of provincials, some in normal uniform and one in a flightsuit style uniform with bloused boots. There was also an RCMP officer in full dress uniform. I asked one of my friends which uniform she thought was the sexiest. She points off in the distance and says, "Those guys." She was pointing at our volunteer firemen standing by the bonfire.

Chicks dig firemen.
 
Allow me then a short tale; last Canada Day we had a couple of cops standing around in the crowd at our local festivities. There were a couple of provincials, some in normal uniform and one in a flightsuit style uniform with bloused boots. There was also an RCMP officer in full dress uniform. I asked one of my friends which uniform she thought was the sexiest. She points off in the distance and says, "Those guys." She was pointing at our volunteer firemen standing by the bonfire.

Chicks dig firemen.

Yep thats why I do it! lol!:greenchainsaw:
 

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